WEBVTT ♪TIM: IT LOOKED LIKE STUDENTPICTURE DAY NEAR THE STEPS OFTHE CAPITOL.THAT WAS UNTIL GOVERNOR HOGANCAME DOWN THE STEPS TO SPETIME TALKING TO STUDENTS, TAKINGSELFIES, AND THEN AN OFFICIALPHOTOGRAPH BEFORE HEADING OVERTO A RALLY AT LAWYERS MALL.>> BOOST OUR EDUCATION.BOOST OUR EDUCATION TIM: THE GOVERNOR TOLD THE CROWDOF MOSTLY STUDENTS HE'LL KEEPPUSHING TO ADD MILLIONS OFDOLLARS MORE TO THE BOOSSCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.GOV. HOGAN: I CAN'T REALLYUNDERSTAND WHERE THE CRITICISMIS COMING FROM.WE THOUGHT IT WAS A DARN GOODIDEA, AND WE JUST WANT TO ADD ALITTLE BIT MORE MONEY TO IT.>> AND YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT FORIT?GOV. HOGAN: ABSOLUTELY.TIM: HE ALSO URGED STUDENTS TOLOBBY THEIR LOCAL LEGISLATORS.>> YOU SAY IT'S IMPORTANTBECAUSE -- >> SO WE CAN GET MONEY FOR OURSCHOOLS, AND WE HAVE MORE PEOPLEGO TO THEM, AND WE CAN MAKE IT AGOOD LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.>> WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR OWN SOWE CAN GET THE EDUCATION THAT WENEED TO BECOME THE FUTURE MARYLAND, BECAUSE ARE THE FUTUREOF MARYLAND.TIM: THIS BALTIMORE COUNTYDELEGATE WAS ONE OF ONLY AHANDFUL OF LAWMAKERS WHO STOPPEDBY THE RALLY TO SPEAK WITHSTUDENTS.>> I AM A BIG, BIG, PUBLICSCHOOL SUPPORTER, BUT I ALSOBELIEVE THAT HIGH QUALITYEDUCATION IS IMPORTANT FOREVERYONE. TIM: THAT'S A POINT SOME PARENTSOF NON-PUBLIC STUDENTS HAVE BEENTRYING TO DRIVE HOME>> OUR SCHOOL IS IN DIRE NEED OFFUNDING, SO THIS IS VERYIMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE WE ARECONSTANTLY IN DEBT, ANDCONSTANTLY FUNDRAISING TO WORKOUT WAY OUT OF ITIM: AND THOSE WHO ORGANIZEDTHIS RALLY AND STATEHOUSE VISITSAY IT ALL STARTS WITH PROGRAMSLIKE THE BOOST SCHOLARSHIP.LAST YEAR MORE THAN 5,000MARYLAND STUDENTS APPLIED FORTHE BOOST SCHOLARSHIP.A LITTLE MORE THAN 3,0SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED ACROSSTHE STATE.

More than 1,300 non-public school students rallied Thursday morning in Annapolis to support a school-voucher program that is under attack by some public educators and union groups.
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Gov. Larry Hogan spent some time talking to students, taking selfies and then taking an official photograph before heading to a rally at Lawyers Mall. The governor told the crowd of mostly students that he'll keep pushing to add millions of dollars more to the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program.
"I can't really understand where the criticism is coming from. We thought it was a darn good idea, and we just want to add a little bit more money to it," Hogan said.
The governor wants to double the amount of money that taxpayers spend on the BOOST Program from $5 million to $10 million a year. He urged students to lobby their local legislators.
"It's important so we can get money for our schools and we have more people go to them and we can make it a good learning environment," said John Whitman, a non-public school student.
"We have to support our own so we can get the education that we need to become the future of Maryland because we are the future of Maryland," said Aayesha Zaheer, a non-public school student.
"I am a big, big, public school supporter, but I also believe that high-quality education is important for everyone," said Delegate Sherry Hettleman, D-Baltimore County.
The BOOST Program is already popular among thousands of Maryland parents who are getting financial help to send their children to private and non-public schools.
"Our school is in dire need of funding, so this is very important to us, because we are constantly in debt and constantly fundraising to work our way out of it," said Gigi Pryor, a parent of a non-public school student.
Last year, more than 5,000 Maryland students applied for the BOOST Scholarship. A little more than 3,000 scholarships were awarded across the state.

"I can't really understand where the criticism is coming from. We thought it was a darn good idea, and we just want to add a little bit more money to it," Hogan said.

The governor wants to double the amount of money that taxpayers spend on the BOOST Program from $5 million to $10 million a year. He urged students to lobby their local legislators.

"It's important so we can get money for our schools and we have more people go to them and we can make it a good learning environment," said John Whitman, a non-public school student.

"We have to support our own so we can get the education that we need to become the future of Maryland because we are the future of Maryland," said Aayesha Zaheer, a non-public school student.

"I am a big, big, public school supporter, but I also believe that high-quality education is important for everyone," said Delegate Sherry Hettleman, D-Baltimore County.

The BOOST Program is already popular among thousands of Maryland parents who are getting financial help to send their children to private and non-public schools.

"Our school is in dire need of funding, so this is very important to us, because we are constantly in debt and constantly fundraising to work our way out of it," said Gigi Pryor, a parent of a non-public school student.

Last year, more than 5,000 Maryland students applied for the BOOST Scholarship. A little more than 3,000 scholarships were awarded across the state.